Roofing

Subtle Soffit Vent

Login or Register to download the PDF version of this article. (130.86 kB)

We pay as much attention to the quality of our exterior trim as we do the interior trim on the upscale houses we build, so we don't want to see ugly strip vents or round metal button vents messing up the soffits. Instead, we've come up with a nice-looking detail that provides plenty of roof ventilation without calling attention to itself. The vent is concealed behind the 3 1/2-inch to 5 1/2-inch-wide crown molding that typically installs between the fascia and soffit on our homes.

First, we install a pre-primed 1x10 fascia board with a 2-inch gap at the top edge between it and the finished soffit. The soffit paneling is held back from the fascia by an equal distance. Rafter tails or any other framing visible in this gap gets spray-painted black. Using a 10-foot Porta-Brake, we bend 6-inch-wide strips of standard black...